THE CALL OF GOD.
1Co_1:4-9.
All true Christian experience has its origin in the call of God: "Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you." "Whom He called, them He also justified" (Rom_8:30). We shall note some precious things inherent in this call. It is-
I. The Call of Grace. "The grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ" (1Co_1:4). This grace by Jesus Christ could never come as a response to human merit. "By grace are ye saved, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Eph_2:8). In grace He calls, because that, while "we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
II. A Call to Enrichment. "In everything ye are
enriched by Him, in all utterance and all knowledge" (1Co_1:5). The new life in Christ is enriched with a new value and a new power. There is a deeper knowledge of God, a clear vision of the treasure of His Word, and fuller expression of all these in the life. Truly he is a rich man. Rich in faith, rich toward God.
III. A Call to Patient Waiting. "Ye came behind in no gift. Waiting for the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." It is to be feared that many do come behind in their gift of looking for the Coming of the Lord. The Christians at Thessalonica had this gift (1Th_1:9-10). We should be thankful that this gift is being freely bestowed on God’s people in these days.
IV. A Call to a Blameless Life. "That ye may be blameless in the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1Co_1:8) Herein lies the practical use of this "Blessed Hope," which if often questioned by the unbelieving. Our lives must be affected by our prospects. "Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself" (1Jn_3:3). How sayest thou then that there is no good in looking for His Coming?
V. A Call to Fellowship. "Ye were called into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord" (1Co_1:9). Brethren, what a high calling this is! Called into partnership with God’s Son in seeking to save the lost and in the building up of His Church, and in the hastening of His Kingdom. In all this we are to be-not sleeping partners, but-active "co-workers together with Him." We are called into fellowship with Him, but the "capital" is all His own in this great business. "For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Col_2:9). And from this fulness have we all received.
VI. A Call by a Faithful God. "God is faithful by whom ye were called" (1Co_1:9). This holy calling does imply serious responsibility. We might well tremble when we think of our own poverty and ignorance and weakness. But then, it was by the God who is ever true to His promise that ye were called. Hear what the apostle says to the merciful Philippians: "My God, so great in His wealth in Christ Jesus, will fully supply every need of yours" (Php_4:19). Only believe!
THE APPEAL OF THE CROSS.
1Co_1:18-31.
The preaching, or message, of the Cross, is treated in these days much in the same way as Christ Himself was treated in the days of His humiliation and sorrow (1Co_1:18). The worldly wise sneered, and official dignity denied Him. By the preaching of Christ crucified the Cross is still making its appeal.
I. To them that are Perishing it is Foolishness (1Co_1:18). A man must be sinking into the blackness of final despair who thinks God’s method of salvation is "foolishness." He might as well call it foolishness to expect light from the sun.
II. To them that are being Saved it is the Power of God (1Co_1:18). To them who are being plucked out of the fire, like brands from the burning, and being delivered from the dominion of sin, and translated into the Kingdom of His dear Son, and being taught by His Holy Spirit and satisfied with His grace it is the power of God.
III. To the Jew it is a Stumblingblock (1Co_1:23). The poor Jew, blinded by unbelief has been stumbling over the Cross ever since Christ rose from the dead. The Cross of Christ lies right across his path. He cannot possibly get it out of his way. Some of the things spoken of by this prophet have been literally fulfilled by the life and death of this Man called Jesus, the Christ (Isa. 53), whom they crucified. They as a nation will go on stumbling till the Lord Comes, and they look upon Him whom they have pierced (Zec_12:10).
IV. To the Greek it is Foolishness (1Co_1:23). The Greeks seek after wisdom, but the message of the Cross, which is the embodiment of the wisdom of God, is to those worldly-wise ones "foolishness." Surely the "foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of the wisest men" (1Co_1:25). "The age by its wisdom knew not God" (1Co_1:21). There are many in our own day, like those Greeks, who are earnestly seeking after wisdom, and yet deliberately pausing by Him who is the wisdom of God (1Co_1:24).
V. To the Christian, whether Jew or Greek, Christ and Him Crucified is the power of God and the wisdom of God (1Co_1:24). The Gospel of Christ is the power of God to save to the uttermost of man’s need, and the wisdom of God to satisfy to the uttermost man’s search for truth. To know God as revealed in His Word is to be made wise unto salvation. Our view of Christ in relation to God may be a great thing, but God’s view of Christ in relationship to us His people is a much greater thing. It is with His reckoning we have specially to do. For by the reckoning of Almighty Grace Christ is made of God unto us-
1. "Wisdom" for the Mind. The quality of being wise belongs more to character than to thought. He has given us capacity to understand spiritual things. He can make us to abound in this wisdom (Eph_1:8), so that we might be filled (Col_1:9).
2. "Righteousness" for the Heart. This righteousness comes not by the "works of the law," but by the reckoning of grace. "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness." To get right with God means, "Not I, but Christ."
3. "Sanctification" for the Work. Set apart, not as a recluse, but as a worker-together with Him. Jesus said: "On their behalf I consecrate Myself, in order that they may become perfectly consecrated in truth" (Joh_17:19, Weymouth). We are not saved as a miser saves his money, but as a wise father saves his son, by giving him fitness for his life’s work.
4. "Deliverance" for our Assurance. This promise may well put cheer and confidence in our hearts, that He will work deliverance for us, whether as tempted and tried pilgrims, or as warriors for the truth. "Lo, I am with you alway."
THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION.
1Co_2:9-16.
I. This Revelation cannot Possibly be the Invention of Men. The eye of man’s carnal mind hath never seen it. The ear of man’s worldly wisdom hath never heard it. Neither hath it ever entered into the heart of man (apart from the Holy Spirit) the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him (1Co_2:9), and since the beginning of the world it hath been so (Isa_64:4). The world by wisdom knew not God (chap. 1Co_1:21).
II. It is a Revelation from God. "But God hath revealed them unto us" (1Co_2:10). God only could reveal the mysteries of His suffering Son. "O the depths of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God concerning His Son" (Rom_11:33). This is the glory of the Gospel message, that it is as true and as gracious as the God who gave it (Gal_1:12).
III. What this Revelation Is. It is the unveiling of the mystery of Christ and Him crucified (1Co_2:2). The revelation of the fact that He died for our sins, and rose again for our justification, and that He is coming again for our final deliverance (Heb_9:26). It is a revelation of His abounding grace to sinful men, and of His power to save to the very uttermost all that come unto Him.
IV. How this Revelation is Made Known. "God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit" (1Co_2:10). It has come from God, and it comes home to the believing heart by the Spirit of God. For "the Spirit searcheth the deep things of God." "The things of God no man knoweth without the Spirit of God" (1Co_2:11). The Holy Spirit is the minister of the things of Christ (1Co_12:8-11). He is the "Spirit of Truth," and He shall teach you all things bearing on the revealed will of the Father, "for He shall receive of Mine and shall shew it unto you" (Joh_16:13). Oh, that all His people were so taught of God. With such a "Teacher, come from God," there is no excuse for spiritual poverty. "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." For ye may know the letter of the word, and yet be strangers to its mighty power.
V. How these Things should be Preached. "My preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power" (1Co_2:4). "Our Gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost" (1Th_1:5). Without this power, preaching is without authority-"sounding brass." There may be a demonstration of eloquent words and fleshly energy, but without the demonstration of the Spirit it is spiritually powerless (1Co_2:13). "But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me" (Act_1:8). Ye ministers of His, "Tarry ye until ye be endued with powers from on high" (Luk_24:49). "For the promise is unto you" (Act_2:39).
VI. The Christian’s Attitude Towards this Divine Revelation. "I am determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1Co_2:2). In Corinth there were many contentions, as there are in the world everywhere to-day. But Paul knew that the one thing needed by all was the power of the Gospel of Christ. The worldly, in their wisdom, would call this narrow-minded; but it is the wisdom of God to offer the Divine remedy for all the world’s woes. "I am determined," he declared. "This one thing I do." Would God that this determination was the settled motive in the hearts of all who serve in the preaching of God’s Word. The whole counsel of God radiates from the "Christ and Him crucified." "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord" (Php_3:8).
OUR LIFE’S WORK TESTED.
1Co_3:10-20.
Paul, as a master builder, is here dealing with some fundamental facts concerning the Christian’s life and work.
I. A Foundation has been Laid. "Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1Co_3:11). A foundation was needed, first, by God Himself, in which to build the structure of His redeemed Church; second, by man, on which to build his hopes for this life and the life to come. This foundation has been well and truly laid by the hand of infinite wisdom. Laid as deep as the grave, and as stable as the Eternal Throne. "Upon this Rock (Christ) I will build My Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it" (Mat_16:18). "For the foundation of God standeth sure" (2Ti_2:19). Since God the Father has purposed to build His Church and His Kingdom on that Rock, which is Christ, let us have the faith of God, and build our all on Him.
II. A Superstructure is Being Raised. "If any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones," etc. (1Co_3:2). Here are two different classes of builders-
1. The Wise Builder. Who builds "gold, silver, and precious stones." He puts in this foundation that which is consistent with its precious character (Rev_21:19). He is careful about his doctrine, that the things he teaches in God’s Name are in harmony with His Word. He is careful also about his manner of life. In 2Pe_1:5-7 there is laid down before us a whole load of suitable material for a wise builder.
2. The Foolish Builder. He uses "wood, hay, and stubble, or timber, hay and straw." The foolish builder is wise in his own conceit. He thinks that as long as you believe in the foundation it matters little what you build upon it, and so false teaching becomes easy, and the vain philosophies of the proud in heart become attractive. He is careless and indifferent in practice, his faith in Christ has brought no change in his life and outlook. He still believes in building with "wood, hay, and stubble." These may be useful in some ways, but they are "after the tradition of men and not after Christ" (Col_2:8).
III. A Testing Time is Coming. "That day in which the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is" (1Co_3:13). The foundation has been already tried (Isa_28:16). But the work done that has been associated with His Name will be tried with the fire of God’s searching judgment. "Behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, when the proud and all that do iniquity shall be as stubble" (Mal_4:1). If the proud and the workers of iniquity are reckoned as stubble, so also are the works of the proud self-seeking Christians. This fiery test is not to reveal whether we are Christians or not, but whether cur works as Christians are worthy of Christ or not. Will He own them, or will He burn then? That depends on their own intrinsic character, whether they are gold, or wood, silver or hay, precious stones or stubble. What they are will determine their destiny.
IV. The Results.
1. Some Rewarded. "If any man’s work-or building which he has created-stands the test, he will be rewarded" (1Co_3:14). He is not rewarded because he is a Christian. Salvation is not a reward for good works. It is the gift of God. The reward comes for the good works done in His Name, that are well pleasing in His sight; works that are consistent with the character of the Foundation. True and good, precious in. His eyes, and that bear the stamp of eternal value.
2. Some Not Rewarded. "If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire" (1Co_3:15). If his work is burned up it is because it is as wood, hay, and stubble, fit fuel for the fire. He may have a saved soul, but he has a lost life. Such will be the poorer through all the coming ages, as the result of his present ignorance and folly. The wages of this sin is also death. Death to the prospect of being rewarded for faithful service at the Coming of the Lord (1Pe_5:4), who shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. For we must all of us appear before Christ’s judgment, set in our true characters, in order that each may then receive an award for his actions in this life, in accordance with what he has done, whether it be good or worthless (2Co_5:10). "Let no man deceive himself" (1Co_3:18), for we are assured that God will not be mocked. He cannot mistake the hollow, heartless, worthless hay and stubble service for the faith, love and works of the consecrated life. Let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon (1Co_3:10).
THINGS WE OUGHT TO KNOW.
1 Corinthians 6.
At this time the Corinthian Church was unstable in doctrine and factious in fellowship. Some things are specially emphasised by the prefix: "Do you not know" or "Know ye not." See what some of these things are. Know ye not that-
I. The Saints shall Judge the World (1Co_6:2). Daniel, in his vision, saw the Ancient of Days come, and the time that the saints possessed the kingdom (Dan_7:22), Jesus said: "Ye which have followed Me in the times of regeneration, when the Son of Man shall be enthroned, ye also shall sit upon thrones judging" (Mat_19:28). They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years (Rev_20:4). It is a small matter for His saints to be judged of men now. Their day is coming.
II. Your Bodies are the Members of Christ (1Co_6:15). "The body is for the Lord, and the Lord for the body" (1Co_6:13). Know ye not that these bodies of yours belong to Christ as really as your souls? The Lord is for your spirit, He also is for your body. Your body is a visible working member of Christ. The temptations of the Devil often come by way of the body. Keep it in subjection, lest by any means it might lead to uselessness (1Co_9:27).
III. Your Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost (1Co_6:19) In Solomon’s Temple the glory of the Lord rested on the mercy seat, right in the centre of the Holy of holies, making the Temple a true witness to His Presence and power. The Church of God is also His temple. "Ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people" (2Co_6:16). "Ye also are builded together for a habitation of God, through the Spirit" (Eph_2:21-22). We are all one in Christ, as a corporate body, it is the temple of God. But the body of each individual believer becomes a temple of the Holy Ghost. This is a more humbling, searching, and inspiring thought than that God dwells in His Church. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit Right in the centre of this temple, in the Holy of holies, the heart, the Holy Spirit broods and works, bringing comfort and guidance in life, and power for testimony. God in the midst.
IV. Ye are Not Your Own for Ye are Bought with a Price (1Co_6:19-20). Is this freedom or bondage? It is both. It means the freedom of the sons of God, the liberty of the Spirit; and the bondage of a conquered love. Independence is an impossibility. To be independent we must be without a country, without a body, and without a God. "Ye are bought with a price." A price which only God Himself could pay: the precious Blood of His own dear Son (1Pe_1:18-19). Christ is much more than an Example for us, He is our Ransom. Having been bought by His Blood, ye belong to Him; therefore, "ye are not your own," and should "glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s" (1Co_6:20). The love of Christ ought to constrain us, that we who live by His redeeming grace should not henceforth live unto ourselves, but unto Him who died for us and rose again (2Co_3:14-15), that we might show forth the praises of Him who hath called us out of darkness into His marvellous light (1Pe_2:9).
THE MINISTRY.
1Co_9:7-27.
The apostle is here vindicating both his ministry and his method, and there are suggested some qualifications for a successful ministry.
I. He had a Personal Experience of Jesus Christ. "Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?" (1Co_9:1). He had both seen Him and heard Him, and knew the transforming power of His revelation. He could truthfully say: "I know Him whom I have believed." Should not this be the initial experience of every messenger of the Gospel? How can we say, "We speak that we do know," if we have no personal experience of His saving power?
II. He had Faith in God for the Supply of his Need. Although he asked nothing from those to whom he ministered the Word, but showed them that if he sowed spiritual things it was no great thing if he should reap their carnal things (1Co_9:11), he reminded them that it was an ordination of the Lord, "that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel (1Co_9:14). The Gospel of Christ is without charge, and he would put no price on it for his own advantage (1Co_9:18). He could say: "My God will supply all your need" (Php_4:19). It is a sorry service that can be bribed with money.
III. He has Enthusiasm for the Gospel. "Necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me if I preach not the Gospel" (1Co_9:16). This is not that kind of enthusiasm that can be worked up for a special occasion; not a convulsive effort that may be produced by a torrent of words. It is the result of the holy fire from the altar of the Cross blazing in the heart, where the "wood, hay, and stubble" of all self-seeking has been burned up, and where the Holy Spirit has taken possession of the life, and focused the energies of the soul in Christ and Him crucified. "To me to live is Christ."
IV. He has Humility of Spirit. "I have made myself the slave of all, that I might gain the more" (1Co_9:19). He was ready to take the lowest place that he might, if possible reach the lowest down. Like his Master, he took the towel of humility and girded himself, that he might wash the feet of others (Joh_13:4-5). "He that humbleth himself shall be exalted." "The proud He knoweth afar off." "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of His" (Rom_8:9).
V. He has the Power of Adaptation in Method. "To the Jews I become as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews. To them under the law, as under the law, that I might win them that are under the law" (1Co_9:20-21). He declares further: "That I am made all things to all, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the Gospel’s sake" (1Co_9:22-23). In all this we may be assured Paul never condescended to pander to that which was evil, or encourage customs and practices which were dishonouring to the Name of Jesus. He simply and lovingly stooped down far enough to get a hold of them, that he might lift up into God’s salvation. No weakling in the faith should attempt this. It takes a strong man to swim against this tide.
VI. He is Self-denying that he might Keep Physically Fit. "I keep my body in subjection, lest I myself should be rejected" (1Co_9:27). The body is a sacred instrument for the work of God. In eating and drinking, in work or in physical exercise, let us remember that the body is for the Lord, and the Lord for the body (1Co_6:13). "Ye are not your own," therefore take care of the Lord’s property.
GOD’S PROVISION FOR HIS PILGRIM PEOPLE.
1Co_10:1-4.
Paul assures us here twice over (vv. 1Co_6:11) that these things happened unto them as types, or examples unto us, upon whom the ends of the ages are come. We, like them, are pilgrims and strangers on the earth, enjoying great spiritual mercies. They had the "shadows," we have the realities.
I. The Moving Cloud. "All our fathers were under the cloud" (1Co_10:1). The cloud of shelter by day, and of fire by night as their protection and guide (Exo_13:21). The cloud was the symbol and evidence of the Divine Presence, in itself a mystery. When it moved they moved. It seemed to move easily, but nothing on earth outside could move it. What a suggestive emblem of the revealed Word of God! They all were under it, and God was in it, and all were baptised into the one name (Moses), their leader and law-giver (1Co_10:2). They were infallibly led by the God-created cloud, just as we can be by His unerring Word. To move without the cloud was to go in their own name, wisdom, and strength, which would mean for them confusion and failure. This is what it means for us when we choose our way, and act without His authority. It was because they believed and followed the cloud that they were able to go into the midst of the sea upon dry ground (Exo_14:22). It is because we have believed and acted on the "Word of the Lord" that we have passed from death into life, from the place of bondage into the liberty of the land of the promises. Keep on believing. Keep your eye on the God-inspired cloud.
II. The Daily Manna. "They did all eat the same spiritual meat" (1Co_10:3). "He gave them bread from Heaven to eat" (Joh_6:31). Those who follow the Word of God will surely be fed by the "Bread of God." Jesus said: "I am the Living Bread which came down from Heaven" (Joh_6:48-51). The manna, then, is typical of Jesus Christ, who came down from Heaven as "the Bread of Life." The manna was like Christ in that-
1. It was the Gift of God. Of course all bread is God’s gift, whether it comes out of the earth or out of the Heavens; but the wilderness could do nothing by way of producing it. So Christ was God’s gift to a starving world (Joh_3:16). God knew what the hungry heart of man needed when He gave His Son as "the Bread of Life."
2. It was Suited for All. All alike found it what it pretended to be: something to satisfy the craving of hunger. What Christ has to give is just what all the sons of men need, that which exactly suits them, the forgiveness of sins and grace to help in every time of need. Satisfied with His abundance.
3. It was Offered to All. From the youngest to the oldest, without money, without price. The rich and the poor alike needed it. In this offer of Heaven’s bread, God is no respecter of persons, for all have sinned. So Christ as the "Living Bread" from Heaven is offered, in God’s grace, to any man who will eat this bread (Joh_6:51), promising that he that eateth shall live for ever.
4. It was Personally Used. "They did all eat the same spiritual meat." It was not enough to gather and boast of how much they had gotten. To be personally profited there must be a personal appropriation. We may possibly gather much knowledge about Christ, and yet receive little strength and satisfaction from it, if the truth is not assimilated in our own spiritual life. "He that eateth Me shall live by Me" (Joh_6:47).
III. The Rock that Followed Them. "They drank of that Spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ" (1Co_10:4).
1. Like Christ, this Rock was Revealed by God. It may only have taken God a few moments to show Moses this rock in Horeb, but it took Him over thirty years to show the Rock, Christ; for all the years of His earthly life was an unveiling of His character as the Chosen One. "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
2. Like Christ, this Rock was Divinely Possessed. ‘Behold I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb" (Exo_17:6). At Christ’s baptism the Holy Spirit rested upon Him. There was to be no mistaking Him as the God-appointed medium of blessing to His trusting people. "God was in Christ seeking to reconcile a wandering world to Himself" (2Co_5:19).
3. Like Christ, this Rock was Rich in Unrealised Blessing. The Israelites might say, "How can any good come out of this rock?" as they said of Christ, "Can any good come out of Nazareth?" or, "How can this Man save us?" but it pleased God that in Him should all fulness dwell (Col_1:19). But they could say later on: "Of His fulness have all we received" (Joh_1:16).
4. Like Christ, this Rock must be Smitten. "Thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink" (Exo_17:6). The rock was not smitten for itself, but for the salvation of the people. He was wounded for our transgressions, the rod of God’s judgment fell upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed (Isa. 53).
5. Like Christ, the Smitten Rock Poured Forth its Hidden Treasures. "He clave the rock, and gave them drink as out of the great depths" (Psa_78:15). O wonder of wonders, that from His smitten Son there should come forth streams of redeeming mercies, out of the great depths of God’s eternal purpose. In that day in which Christ was pierced, there was opened a fountain of cleansing for a sinful world. "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters" (Isa_55:1).
6. Like Christ, this Spiritual Rock followed Them. They drank of that Spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ" (1Co_10:4). This water from the Rock was to them an abiding blessing. It followed them. Something to satisfy all the way. Jesus said "The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well, springing up into everlasting life" (Joh_4:14). And, "Lo, I am with you, and will never leave you nor forsake you." He is our Rock, the Rock of our eternal salvation and eternal supply.
OVERTHROWN BY SIN.
1Co_10:5-15.
They went up out of Egypt a mixed multitude (Num_11:4), but not a man of them saw Caleb and Joshua enter into the promised possession (Num_26:65) What a warning we have here against secret sin, which leads to backsliding and to final overthrow
I. Who were They that Fell in the Wilderness? They had been-
1. Saved out of Egypt. They passed through the sea, and knew something of the God of Deliverance. They had identified themselves with the ransomed host.
2. Baptised into the Name of the God-appointed leader, acknowledging his authority, and professedly his followers.
3. In Full Communion. They did all eat of the same bread and drank from the same Rock (1Co_10:3-4). What privileges were theirs, but how hollow their profession.
II. Their Failure. It was great, and brought fatal results. "They were overthrown in the wilderness," There fell on one day twenty-three thousand (1Co_10:8). The character of their failure as backsliders may be seen in that they-
1. Displeased God. With many of them God was not well pleased (1Co_10:5). God’s displeasure may not be apparent for a time, as He is slow to anger, but if not repented of will certainly ripen into judgment.
2. Missing the Mark. The mark was the Land of Promise, but they missed it because of their unbelief (Jud_1:3). They failed because they lost their faith in God.
3. Premature Death. Every one of them died, we might say, before their time. God was willing to bring them into the "good land," but evil slays the wicked (Psa_34:21). Those who wander in heart away from God scarcely realise how they are cutting short their lives.
III. The Causes of Failure. They are many, but all have their root in heart-departure from the Living God, by ceasing to honour and obey His Word. Their sins are the sins of many in our own day, who have turned aside in heart from following the Lord.
1. They Lusted after Forbidden Things (v. 6). The pleasures of the old unregenerate life are longed for, the bread of God has become stale (Num_11:4), God Himself has become unreal.
2. They Worshipped Other Gods (v. 7). When any other object is loved and honoured more than the Lord our God, then we are idolaters, whether it be our business, our pleasures, our children, or ourselves. "He that loveth any one or anything more than Me," saith Christ, "is not worthy of Me" (Mat_10:37-38).
3. They Indulged in Social Impurity (v. 8). This secret, soul-withering sin is without a covering in the eyes of God. "Be sure your sin will find you out."
4. They Murmured at the Providence of God (v. 10). They murmured against Moses, against Aaron, against God’s method of dealing with them, and became discontented even with the manna from Heaven (Num_14:2). When a professing Christian begins to murmur against God’s servants, and to criticise and find fault with God’s Word and message, be sure that in heart they are estranged from God, if they ever truly knew Him.
IV. The Present Application. These things are all examples unto us (1Co_10:6-11). All sins, secret or open, have still the same effect in separating the soul from fellowship with God, and overthrowing the testimony of the life as a witness to the power of Christ. Discontent with the provision and promises of God is the blighted fruit of a doubting heart. Brethren, let us labour therefore to enter into that "rest of faith," lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief (Heb_4:11). "Thou standest by faith; be not high-minded, but fear" (Rom_11:20). "The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer" (1Pe_4:7).
THE LORD’S SUPPER.
1Co_11:23-29.
This ordinance is the heirloom of the Christian Church. The emblems are of a most simple and homely character- "Bread and Wine." Yet the significance of them in the hands of Christ embody the profoundest facts in the Christian faith. The bread, "My Body;" the wine, "My Blood." Symbols of His character and mission.
I. His Incarnation. "He took bread and said, This is My Body" (1Co_11:23). A body hast Thou prepared me. He took on Him not the nature of angels, but the "likeness of sinful flesh" (Rom_8:3). He took the body prepared for Him by the Father, that He might have somewhat to offer as a visible sacrifice for the sin of the world. The taking of the bread as a symbol of His body was a voluntary act, for He made Himself of no reputation when He took the form of a servant (Php_2:7).
II. His Devotion. "He gave thanks" (1Co_11:24). He took the bread, emblem of His body, and gave thanks to God for it. Think of it! Giving thanks to God for a body that was to be bruised and broken on a Cross: thanks to the Father for the privilege of dying for a guilty and thankless humanity! In this simple, common act, see the whole-hearted devotion of our Lord to the awful work the Father had given Him to do. "Not My will, but Thine be done."
III. His Suffering. After giving thanks He brake it. Every word and act seems full of meaning. He did not ask Judas to break it. He Himself broke it. He gave Himself a sacrifice for our sins. He could say: "No man taketh My life from Me: I lay it down of Myself." He broke the bread, of which He said, "This is My Body" (Joh_10:18). It was because He loved us that He gave Himself for us an offering unto God (Eph_5:2). His life was a life of thanksgiving; His death was a voluntary offering. "Father, I will."
IV. His Substitution. "This is My Body which is broken for you." Not broken by accident. He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him. He was "broken for you" (Isa_53:5). The wine of His precious blood was poured out for our redemption (1Pe_1:19). We are apt to speak lightly and think little of these words uttered at His last meal on earth. "My body, broken for" you. What would be the thoughts in His mind when uttering them? He already saw the Cross, and perhaps already felt the pangs of Gethsemane in His soul. But love constrained Him. When we sit at the Lord’s table and handle the bread and cup, do we realise this as we should: "My Body broken for you," "My Blood shed for you?"
V. His Invitation. "Take, eat." "Do this in remembrance of Me." After atonement has been made by His suffering and death, there comes (symbolically) the invitation to partake of the benefits purchased. "Take, eat," appropriate to yourselves what is here set before you. This is the message of the Gospel. "Do this in remembrance of Me." There is no virtue in the mere eating and drinking. The soul of the ordinance is in remembering Him. The elements are but the memorials of what He hath done for us in giving His body and His Blood a Ransom for our souls.
VI. His Purpose in It. "As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do shew forth the Lord’s death." There is no symbolic ordinance left us to show forth His Incarnation, or His Transfiguration, or His Ascension, but there is for His Crucifixion. Why is that His death is to be so prominently and persistently kept before our minds? Because all our salvation has come out of it, and all the hopes of the ungodly are in it. "God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of Jesus Christ our Lord" (Gal_6:14). Preach Christ and Him crucified.
VII. His Prospect. "Ye do shew forth the Lord’s death till He come" (1Co_11:26). When He comes again, according to His promise, the Church will have no need of this memorial of Him. We have little need for an absent friend’s photograph when He Himself has come to us. The present dispensation is an interval between His Cross and His Throne. While we may sit at His table with sorrowful, yet peaceful, hearts; while we think of His sorrow and shame on our behalf, we can look hopefully up, knowing that He is coming again to receive us unto Himself (Joh_14:1-3). When we think of the Lord’s table we must recognise that it is not the table of any particular Church or sect. It is the Lord’s, and all have the right to it who are able to discern the Lord’s body in the emblems. Our worthiness or unworthiness to sit at His table lie, not in our good education, not in our moral character, or religious profession, but in our spiritual discernment (1Co_11:29).
THE CHURCH AS THE BODY OF CHRIST.
1Co_12:12-31.
The human body is a perfect metaphor, or image, of the Church of Jesus Christ, as it is a living organism with many members, controlled by one spirit
I. The Church is One Body. A body with two heads would be a monstrosity. So would a head with two bodies. "Ye are the body of Christ" (1Co_12:27). "Ye, being many, are one body in Christ" (Rom_12:5). We have Churches many, but Christ has only one.
II. The Members are all United by One Spirit. "By one Spirit are we all baptised into one Body" (1Co_12:13). We may be admitted into a local Church on a profession of faith, but to be united to the Spiritual Body of Christ we need the regenerating power of the Holy Ghost. "It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing" (Joh_6:63). The Lord knoweth them that are His.
III. The Body of Christ includes Every Member. "Whether they be Jew or Gentile, bond or free" (1Co_12:13). Whether they be black or white, brown or yellow, rich or poor, young or old, learned or ignorant, living or dead: all who in every age have been made to drink of the one soul-nourishing Spirit (1Co_12:13), all are His. All who have been brought nigh by the Blood of Christ (Eph_2:13). Is the Church a failure? It may be. But the Church which is the Body of Christ is no failure, for when He comes to gather up His precious treasure, He will have a body that will be a glorious witness to the triumph of His sufferings.
IV. Each Member has its Own Function. "God hath set the members every one of them, in the body as it hath pleased Him" (1Co_12:18). The foot is not expected to do the work of the hand, nor the eye to do what the ear is made for. There are diversities of gifts (see 1Co_12:28-31), but one Spirit and one purpose. Be not discouraged if your gift is not so prominent and helpful as some others. The eye doth not covet the function of the ear, nor the ear that of the eye. Let us prayerfully seek to find out what that gift is which God hath been pleased to bestow. If you are a member of Christ’s Body, there is something you can do for Him. A paralyzed member is a betrayal of His character.
V. All the Members are Interdependent. "The eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee," etc. (1Co_12:21). Each member of the body needs the help of the others. We ought to praise God for the gifts of other members, when the work of the Lord is being helped on. What does it matter which member has the special gift, so long as the will of the Head is being done through the body.
VI. There is no Division in the Body in His Sight (1Co_12:25-27). "Ye are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal_3:28). "The same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him" (Rom_10:12). "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope" (Eph_4:4). Things that divide the members of His Body, in the eyes of men, are things devised by the pride and prejudice of men. As Christians, let us "Endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph_4:3).
VII. All the Members of the Body are in Mutual Sympathy. So the members of Christ should have the same care one for another. "If one member suffer, all the members suffer with it: if one be honoured, all the members rejoice with it" (1Co_12:25-26). There is no place for envy or jealousy here. In the Lord’s service such unclean spirits must be cast out. For "though I speak with the tongue of an angel and have not love, I am become as sounding brass" (chap. 1Co_13:1). "Love seeketh not her own." Follow after love and desire spiritual gifts (chap. 1Co_14:1).
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CHRIST’S RESURRECTION.
1Co_15:12-23.
Here the apostle reasons on this great truth from two different standpoints-
1. The negative. "If Christ be not risen"-then what?
2. The positive. "But now is Christ risen,"-then what? As if one should say: "If the sun should not rise again, then what would happen?" But now the sun is risen and becomes self-evident.
I. If Christ be Not Risen.
1. Then Christ’s Own Testimony was Untrue. He had given His promise: "I will rise again." "Destroy this temple (body) and in three days I will raise it up" (Joh_2:19). If He failed here, how could He be "the Resurrection and the Life?" (Joh_11:25).
2. Then His Disciples were Completely Deceived. For this was the keynote of their joyful testimony. "They taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead" (Act_4:2). When their Lord was crucified, the disciples were of all men the most miserable, hiding in shame from their countrymen. But suddenly they became the most joyful and courageous of mortals. What had happened? They had seen their Lord risen from the tomb.
3. Then the Christian Church is a Gigantic Fraud. It is a majestic structure, without any foundation. If there was no empty grave in Joseph’s garden on the third day, then this is the emptiest thing on earth. It is built on the supposition that Christ rose from the dead. If He did not rise from the grave, then how are we to account for its strength and perpetuity all these long ages?
4. Then Christian Experience is a Grand Delusion. Our assurance of forgiveness, our joy in being justified in the light of God, our peace of heart and mind, our answered prayers, our sweet fellowship with God, our bright hopes for the world to come, are all imaginary; and all the millions in every age who have had these experiences have been fatally betrayed.
5. Then we who Believe in Immortality have been Living in a Fool’s Paradise. Instead of "departing to be with Christ," those who have died in this faith have perished like the beast. The joys, hopes, and visions of the dying Christian have all been delusive. Their expectation of seeing Jesus and meeting the loved ones gone before have been but a treacherous empty fancy. Their whole life has been a mere hallucination.
6. Then we are of All Men the Most Miserable. For we, of all men, have stood on the highest pinnacle of expectation, having the brightest outlook and the most confident hopes of any other man. It means for us to be cast down from the high tower of our personal blessedness into the abyss of darkness and despair. If Christ be not risen then the Christian life is but a ghastly mirage, for there will be no resurrection of the dead (1Co_15:12), our preaching has been in vain, and our faith is also vain (1Co_15:14). We have been false witnesses, and we are yet in our sins, and all who have died in the faith are perished (1Co_15:18).
II. But Now is Christ Risen (1Co_15:20). What a joyful ring there is in this shout. It is like the blast of the trumpet of victory. "Now is Christ risen," and the foundations of Hell have been shaken. The sun has arisen in His strength and scattered the darkness, and brought health and beauty with His healing beams. "Now is Christ risen."
1. Then our Preaching is Not in Vain. The great commission still stands good and true: "All power is given unto Me in Heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore" (Mat_28:18-20). "Lo, I (the Risen One) am with you alway." He will not fail you, be not discouraged. The Gospel of the Risen Christ is still the power of God unto salvation to every believer.
2. Then our Faith is Not Vain. We are not trusting a dead Saviour, but Him who is "the Resurrection and the Life" (Joh_11:25). It is no vain thing to trust in the Living Lord, who had the power to lay down His life and to take it again. He who conquered death and the grave can easily restore our sickly faith and raise our dying efforts from the tomb of uselessness.
3. Then we are Not Now in our Sins (v. 17). He died for our sins, "but He rose again for our justification." His death was the paying of the price. His resurrection was the evidence that God had accepted the price paid for our redemption. Now we who believe are accepted in Him, being raised together with Him in the purpose of God.
4. Then those who have Fallen Asleep in Christ are Not Perished (v. 18). They are with their Lord, who was the firstfruits from the dead (1Co_15:23). "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him" when He comes to be glorified in His saints (1Th_4:14-15) "Knowing that He which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus" (2Co_4:14).
5. Then we are Not of All Men the Most Miserable (v. 19). Christians should be the happiest people on the face of the earth. They have the best of all friends in Jesus, the sweetest of all promises in God’s Word, the greatest of all treasures in the fulness of Divine Grace. They hold the highest of all earth’s positions in being the servants of the Lord, crowned with honour and glory. They enjoy the brightest of all prospects in the Coming Kingdom. They shall reign with Him a thousand years (Rev_20:6).
THE RESURRECTION
1Co_15:20-22; 1Co_15:35-58.
There were some in the Corinthian Church who taught that "there is no resurrection of the dead" (1Co_15:12). To combat this fatal error, and to establish the doctrine more firmly in the minds of the saints, Paul wrote this magnificent compendium of the subject. There is nothing like it anywhere; no, not in all the world, for the great apostle; here delivers that which he had received from the risen Christ Himself (1Co_15:3-4). The great truths of this resurrection chapter are-
I. The Resurrection of Christ. "But now is Christ risen from the dead" (1Co_15:20). The Christ of the Scriptures must die, be buried, and rise again (1Co_15:3-4). That Jesus was the Christ was proved by His rising from the dead, and appearing to Cephas, and to "five hundred brethren at once" (1Co_15:5-6). To deceive five hundred brethren at once would have been about as great a wonder as rising from the dead, especially when these brethren were at first very sceptical. This is no myth, but a fact established by many infallible proofs (Act_1:3).
II. The Resurrection Hope. "If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins, and they who have died in this faith are perished" (1Co_15:17-18). Upon this foundation-the resurrection of Christ-this Spirit-taught apostle builds the whole structure of the Christian faith. The death of Christ will avail us nothing if He is not risen and accepted of God in our behalf. He died for our sins, but He must be raised and exalted with God’s right hand ere forgiveness could be preached in His Name (Act_5:31). If Christ be not raised, there is no hope for man (Rom_5:10).
III. The Resurrection of the Dead. Nothing but confusion and error can come to those who think that Paul is here speaking of a general resurrection at the last day.
The dead referred to in this chapter are those who have "fallen asleep in Christ" (1Co_15:18). "Even so in Christ shall all be made alive" (1Co_15:22). All are in Adam, but all are not in Christ. "They that are Christ’s at His coming" (1Co_15:23). The wicked dead shall have no part in the first resurrection (Rev_20:5). How could he speak of them as "sown in dishonour, and raised in glory?" (1Co_15:43).
IV. The Resurrection Body. Paul now raises this great double question, and proceeds to answer it. "How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?" (1Co_15:35-49).
1. It will not be the same body that is sown in the grave (1Co_15:37). Thank God, there will be no cripples in Heaven; no deformed bodies there.
2. It will be a God-given body (1Co_15:38). A body in everything pleasing to Him, and worthy of a redeemed spirit (2Co_5:1).
3. It will be a body in every way suited to the individual spirit. "To every seed his own body (1Co_15:38). One body may differ from another body in glory, as "one star differeth from another" (1Co_15:41-42).
4. It will be an incorruptible body (1Co_15:42). Incapable of death, disease, or decay.
5. It will be a body of glory (1Co_15:43). Like unto His own glorious body (Mat_17:2).
6. It will be a body of power (1Co_15:43). Not subject to the laws of earth. Every material fetter broken.
7. It will be a spiritual body (1Co_15:44). Entirely subject to the volitions of the blood-washed spirit (1Jn_3:2). Then shall we be in the image of the heavenly (1Co_15:49).
V. The Resurrection Mystery. "Behold I show you a mystery," etc. (1Co_15:51-54). Here the apostle reveals a truth that had hitherto been veiled, and, strange to say, a truth that is still veiled to many, although revealed, viz., that all the children of God shall not die, but that all must be changed (1Co_15:51). The Lord Himself will come, and those who are alive and remain at that time shall be caught up together with those who have fallen asleep in Christ, but who shall then be raised from the dead (Thess. 1Co_4:15-17). In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the dead shall be raised, and we (those living at that time) shall be changed (1Co_15:52). It is appointed unto men-not all men-once to die (Heb_9:27).
VI. The Resurrection Song. This song is entitled, "Death swallowed up in victory" (1Co_15:54). It is a victory over the power of sin, and sin, too, that was strengthened by a holy law (1Co_15:56). It is a perfect victory over all the effects of sin. "O death, where is thy sting?" Where is not the effect of thy poison in these new bodies of ours? "O grave, where is thy victory?" Once thou didst claim our bodies as thy spoil, but thou hast been eternally defeated in this new incorruptible body. But this is a song of praise as well as of triumph. "Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1Co_15:57). He alone could "swallow up death in victory" (Isa_25:8). This will be the complete fulfilment of Hos_13:14. Notice there His "I wills."
VII. The Resurrection Incentive. Paul now closes his great argument with an exhortation which is full of motive power. "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast" (1Co_15:58). Seeing that such glorious prospects are before us, what manner of persons ought we now to be?
1. There should be stability of character. "Be ye stedfast, immoveable." Let not the unbelief of others turn you aside from the faith of this Gospel.
2. There should be constancy of service. "Always abounding in the work of the Lord, "knowing that it is not in vain; for in the resurrection state, and at the Judgment-Seat of Christ, the reward will be given (Rev_22:12). Every man’s work shall be tried of what sort it is (1Co_3:12-15).
THE FINAL VICTORY.
1Co_15:51-58.
"Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1Co_15:56).
I. Victory over Sin. "The sting of death is sin." "O death, where is thy sting?" (1Co_15:55-56). Death is as common as birth, as impartial as the law of gravitation, and as uncertain as a thief. To the Christian death is stingless, for the sting of sin was buried in the Crucified Christ, who bore our sins in His own body to the tree. The strength of sin is the Law, but His obedience unto the death on our behalf met the just demands of the righteousness of God. "Sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace" (Rom_6:14). The Law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (Joh_1:17). Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory over sin.
II. Victory over Mortality. "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal (body) must put on immortality" (1Co_15:53). These bodies of ours are to share the victory of our Saviour’s resurrection when He comes again. Then "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we (those who are still alive) shall be changed" (1Co_15:52). "We that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened (with the infirmities of the body): not that we are ourselves to be unclothed but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life" (2Co_5:4). He is longing for that "house which is from Heaven," the new abode of the Spirit. "It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body" (1Co_15:44). Our resurrection bodies may differ in lustre, according to the lives we have lived. "For one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead" (1Co_15:41-42). "Thanks be to God who giveth us this victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
III. Victory over Death. "O death, where is thy sting?" He hath swallowed up death (Isa_25:8), Christ Himself took part of the same flesh and blood that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the Devil, and deliver them who through feat of death were in their lifetime subject to bondage (Heb_2:14-15). Death has always been a winged monster to the human race, where Christ and His resurrection is unknown. For Jesus Christ hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel (2Ti_1:10). Thanks be to God who giveth us this victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
IV. Victory over the Grave. "O grave, where is thy victory?" The hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice and come forth (Joh_5:28). "The Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first" (1Th_4:16). Those who are the members of His Body shall be the first to share in the triumph of their Lord over the bondage and corruption of the grave. This is the first resurrection. "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection, the terrors of the second death and the second grave will have no power over them" (Rev_20:5-6). "Therefore, beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord" (1Co_15:58). Thanks be to God who giveth us this victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Autor: James Smith